Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-04-16
CITY AND DISTRICT.
OVER A HUNDRED YEARS aG,n-
he Original Methodist Meeting HOuse
In the Distriet.

in the Districs.
nov THE DcxBARroS-sTKEEF NJ. z. cUrpcr, WAS
PouNDKD-AN oLD-FAsHIosED SUNDAY scuoo,-
TIKI FIRST CHURCH CHoIR-IHE GERM OF METH.
oDzsA IN OLD GEORGETOWN.
The origin Of Methodism in the District of Co
Wmbia, over century ago, Is somewhat obscure
bot there is little doubt that the first preacbtno
BY Methodist minister in Georgetown then In
Frederick County, Nd, was by Rev. Robert VII.
HANS. an Engiishman, who, in October l712 when
en- route 70 Norfolk, stopped in the town and
preached TO a rOomful. on December "a. 1772.
hooeft strawbrdge and Richard Owings were sent
70 Frederiek County, which embraced Georgetown,
anu In march following the latter reported to Mr..
AsDury; "At Georgetown four have been lately
enabled 10 rejoice In God" and it is probable that
teese four converts constituted the germ of Meth
odlsm In the town. Tradition SAYS these meetings
were heid In Mr. Williams cooper shop In the
nsiHnpfnood OF Gay and Congress streets. Rich
~ OMihgS continued to preach in this section
vi iCi, when Philip Catch, with VIM. Duke, was
s1 10 frederick circuit. The circuit had been
81 on Dy the conference which met in Phiadel-
PIMA, embraced nearly the whole of western Mary
L3Ao, and numbered but 175 members. Rev. VIM.
waters, who was with MIR Williams in l712 was
SEM 10 the circuit in 1775, and 200 conversions
vere reported lie again served the circuit in
1ny and so. In 1888 Georgetown was part OF
Montgomery circuit, and continued SO till 1900
"neh IL oecane separate station.
THE FIRST MEETING HOUSE.
IL Is probable that the first house built
especially for religious service by the Georgetown
society was erected ON Montgomery street. for
Bishop Asbury, in letter OF November 2, 1875,
speaks N preaching in the new chapel. 1t was
brick building, so by 10 feet. one and a-half
stories In height, and OF very ordinary finish. 1t
stood Oh lot 50 by 120 feet, conveyed in 1900 by
Anthony Hoimead to Lloyd Beall, Richard Par
rUe&, SaIni Williams, Isaac owens. Richard Beck,
Geo Coiiard and Peter Miller, as trustees, "to
keep Che same as house OF worship no
part 70 be used az burial ground" Up to 1905
sne following reguiariy-appointed ministers
served the society: Robert Strawbridge, Richard
Owfngs, Philip Ebert, Edward Drumgoie, Philip
Gatch, VIM Duke, VIM. Walters, FreebOrn Car
Esss9n, Martin Rodda, saml Sprays, Caleb Ped
0cOru Richard GarrettSOn, VIM. Glendenning,
Thos Foster, Chas. Scott, Jonathan Forrest,
Reuben Ellis, Philip Cox, Michael Ellis, Ignatius
P19man, VIM PhHbuS, Jno. Magary, Isaac Smith,
jonathan Forrest, Vim. Ringyoid, Sam1 Breeve,
Jos D. Cromwell Benton Riggin, Beni Roberts,
Si GER Hag yn9i Aen' R jas M n Roy SeO'
AQulua Garrettson, Joshua Wells Thos- Bell,
Norris Howe, Rein simpson, F. Garrettson, Jr.,
!no- Bloodgood, B. Martin, Aquiiia Garrettson,
Thomas Lucus, Lasley Matthews, Jos. Rowen,
Wilson Lee, Wilson Lee, Jn0. Potts, Thos Lyell,
VIM Waters, Jno Potts, Seely Bum. The
society was for some years quite small in NUM-
eeIS rof when 1t became q separate station in
1SOl IL reported but ninety-hve members, thirty
seven OF whom were colOred
CLASS IN WASHINGTON ORGANIZED.
The following four years q class In Washington,
located on GreenieafS Point, from which the
kbenezer, subsequently 18th street, has grown, was
attached TO Georgetown. This class Joseph Wheat,
Peter Miller John Chalmers, Geo. Collard and JAS
Fry represented in the Georgetown society. From
the records OF 1903 IL appears that the stationed
preacher was TO preach one Sunday in three at the
point, the class there paying One-third OF his
salary, and One-fOurth OF his board, aggregating
3S per year, and Ia case Of the sickness or death
Of the preacher they were to pay one-third the
Mr.. Walters who had served the Georgetown
society, when it was on the circuit three terms
became "A in
1896 sent TO Washington, and after the first
quarter interchanged with the Georgetown
preacher, Seeiy Bum, but in 1906 his health
forced him 10 locate, and he retired to his farm
near Langley, Va, where he died March 2S, 1927.
In 1905 Georgetown reported 80 in the society,"
OF which l51 were cOlOred, and the following year
but 2G2 92 colOredD. Ii is probable the decrease
was caused by the establishment of Washington
q separate society. Notwithstanding this
however, the original church was enlarged to I'D
Dy % feet, two stories in height. In 1909 piece
Of ground between Mill street and Rock Greek was
conveyed TO the church a battle-ground: but in
1s4o after Oak Hill was established. it fell into
d1suSe. A portion OF the ground is now occupied
DJ the Mount Zion colored church.
THE FIRST CHOIR.
The records show that on January :, 1911. it
vas resolved shat fhos L. Mckinney be re-
Qtsested to conduct the singing in the public wor
shipO our church, and that he Is authorized TO
take Sch steps as may be necessary for the better
arrangement and encouragement of the same;"
and On March Is, 1911, a resolution was passed
approving Brother Mckinney as manager OF the
singing association" and allowing las many OF the
association as may choose TO 60 into the galleryn
B Is Thoughts that this was the origin Of the
''chureh choir in that church, at least
An 1910 Messrs. Samuel AcKeIney and John
Dickson organized a small school for the moral
and religious instruction OF the young in house
On%enersOn street, now No. IO4O and under the
S1asse on she nrst named 1t prospered. In May,
1&2. Sabbath school society was organized with
6ev- Jos 3 Combs, president; Rev. w. c.. Lips
comb, secretary, and Gideon Davis, treasurer
In8 socieIy opened its first school for boys in a
hOuse On Washington, near Gay street, owned and
rendered by Rev. Henry FOxall, who came out
nom England and settled here in 1s01. Forty
scholars attended the first sunday, and at the end
a the quarter there were los. The same year the
ladies opened In AcCurdy'S schOOl-roOm school
a. Montgomery and Bean streets. After the death
Of Nh RoXau the male school was removed to the
church In lsc4 and the female school united with
the male school In the church in 1877
N o1D-FasHIONRD SUNDAY SCHOOL,
On July l6 Of that year the schools became
auxiliary to the Sunday School Union of the
Methodist Episcopal Church The punishment
nr disOrderiy conduct, either in school or church
<and all were compelled 10 attend divine Service1.
consisted IN the forfeiture OF reward tickets
Standing before the school for q length OF time
prOporlOned TO the OfIense, or expulsion For the
loss OF book the unfortunate pupil was SEN
fenced 10 wear "Dadge OF diSgrace.~ The
teachers were required every Sabbath to urge
upon their scholars the duty or repentance
toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ"
TWO sessions or the school were held every Sab
bath, from TO IL a M, and from 2 10 4 30 pm
and were continued during the whole year with,
Out recess for the summer.
The sUper1nSendenb5 have been as follows.
Sam1 Mckinney, RObt. White, Vim. Lang Levin
Stewart, Isaac s. Nichols, Joel Brown Henry
Gather, Dennis McCurdy, Francis King Euoeh
Tucker, David English, IT., VIM u Lipscomb
ThC& Brown, John Dickson, VIM. w Watk1ns
VIM Parsons, JAS ID. Cobb, WIZ Hardy Basil
6agan, Presley simpson, SaIn1 Wardell Jenkin
Thonlas, EDen q. Brown, VIII MOuIder Albert p
Waugh, Henry King, Esau P1ckrell Win IL Edes
N b. Morgan pastor, Benz. H. Stinemetz Glenn
erf A. Peek, Chas- H. stocking, julius Soper An
drew W Eastlack, j. Henry Wilson, John T.
Mitchell, and Edgar Prisby.
TILE PRESENT CHURCH KDIFICR
II was during the ministrations OF Rev. Henry
Slicsr and largely through his fundamentally
that the present church esiiiice was built ON Dunn
barton street. IL was dedicated July J. 1850 dur
Ing the Passionate or Rey. Dr. Lanahan the old
church being sold to the corporation Tor school,
house After Washington separated from the
Georgetown society The figures show an almost
constant increase In membership TIL $50 when
All whites and I'll colOred were reported. That
from S43 bite In ISIS the number fell TO 3O7 in
l629, which Is explained by the withdrawal OF "A
70 form what Is now the Methodist Protestant
Church The eoiored society had an early exist
encf yaEd In 1s,3 organized Sunday school with
VIM Lang as supernLen Gant. IL was under the
contrpi on the white society TIL 1856. Prom Bishop
Asoury's Journal It is learned that he preached
several times In this church. the last time being
March IL, 1slls and several times the Baltimore
conference held It's sessions here VIZ: lS4ls when
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